crock pot

Many modern recipes rely on tomatoes or lemon juice to give borscht its refreshing, acidic flavor. This recipe gets its tang the old-fashioned way: by using lacto-fermented beets. Served hot, borsht makes a hearty winter meal. But it’s also great in the summer, when I prefer to eat it cold with a little plan yogurt mixed in. This soup is even better … Read more

Usually I prefer slow cooker recipes that involve minimal prep. Open a few packages, chop a few veggies, throw them in the pot, and go! This is not one of those recipes. It has three separate steps after you’ve chopped the veggies: prepare the potatoes on the stove top, prepare the filling on the stove top, then cook both in … Read more

My favorite coffee shop recently featured tomatillo soup for lunch. It was delectable and inspired me to create my own version at home. Because I keep cooked beans, caramelized onions, cooked grains and vegetable stock on hand in the freezer, the preparation was incredibly quick and easy. (You can find my directions for making big batches of beans here, caramelized onions here, … Read more

Knowing my love of slow cooking, my close and personal superior Mindy Celeste sent me a recipe from Real Simple for slow-cooker rigatoni. It’s the best kind of crock pot recipe, requiring little preparation beyond chopping and mixing. The original recipe calls for thawing and draining the spinach, but MC said, “I did not thaw or squeeze anything as I used whole … Read more

My friend who lives near the bakery brought me more day-old loaves this week. I’d also used up a jar of marinated red peppers. Only the marinating oil was left in the bottom. So I decided to use these two ingredients as the basis of another strata (savory bread pudding), this time with a stronger Mediterranean theme. Ingredients butter or cooking … Read more

My friend who lives near the bakery brought me some day-old loaves this week. Yay! The perfect excuse to make strata – an egg, cheese, bread and vegetable dish that’s as good for breakfast as it is for dinner. Think quiche, but easier. I used a whole grain sourdough loaf as the basis for the loaf. Sourdough is my favorite for … Read more

There are few things in this world as delicious as curried cauliflower. This recipe may look complicated because of its long list of ingredients, but it’s actually very easy to make. The curry goes great by itself, on top of cooked grains (such as millet or rice), or with a little plain yogurt. Ingredients 1 tablespoon olive oil 3 medium yellow onions, … Read more

I have three main motives for my love of crock pot cooking. I’m easily distracted, which can lead to burnt food when I’m cooking on the stove top. With a slow cooker, I don’t have to worry about that. I am an impatient cook when I am hungry. Slow cooking allows me to prepare a meal after breakfast or lunch when I am … Read more

A friend of mine from college lived on a version of this recipe during her year abroad in Greece, then cooked it for us on many Fridays after her return to the U.S. I’ve been making it ever since. Brining the lentils is a trick I picked up while watching America’s Test Kitchen with my mom over the holidays. It … Read more

We had turkey for Christmas and of course there were leftovers, so it’s time for the post-celebration ritual of making turkey stock in the slow cooker. Stock is made by slow simmering of bones and a small amount of trimmings in water. It’s a great way to use parts that would otherwise go unused. Stock tends to have more body than broth, … Read more